Thursday, October 31, 2013

(Reuters) – A federal appeals court on Thursday reinstated restrictions on abortion providers in Texas that a lower court had blocked, siding with Republican Attorney General Greg Abbott who had asked for an emergency ruling while the case is appealed.

The decision means that while an appeal is ongoing in the case, doctors who perform abortions in Texas will have to get agreements with local hospitals to admit patients as part of a sweeping new anti-abortion law.

A federal district judge had ruled on Monday, a day before the law was due to go into effect, that a section of the law pertaining to admitting privileges was unconstitutional after supporters said it would force clinics to close.